Things You'll Need:
- Ice
- Pain medication
- Pillows or other inclining devices
- A massage therapist (optional)
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Step 1
Gently apply ice packsIce the tissue around the nose using soft, flexible ice packs. Avoid touching the nose directly. It is important to keep ice on the face constantly for 24 hours after the surgery in order to reduce swelling and minimize pain.
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Step 2
Take the prescribed pain medication. Your doctor will most likely prescribe Vicodin after a rhinoplasty, because it is one of the few high-strength pain medications that does not thin the blood. (After a rhinoplasty, it is likely that you will have at least one nose bleed.)
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Step 3
Incline your head on pillows so that you do not lay your head flat for one week after surgery. This will help to drain the fluid from your nose and face.
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Step 4
Avoid increasing your heart rate through aerobic activity. Increasing your heart rate will cause blood to rush to your nose, which will prolong the healing process and increase swelling.
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Step 5
Consider having a lymphatic massage. A lymphatic massage is a very gentle massage that is performed on the tissue around your lymph nodes, which are located in your neck and under arms. Clear lymph nodes will help to drain the fluid from your face.
